Air Travel: What You Cannot Take on the Plane

A year ago, I wrote an article called Air Travel: What Can I take on the Plane? . Of the dozens of follow up questions asked, the best question had to be, What can I NOT take on a plane? I will address that question in this article as well as the reasons why you cannot take certain items on an airplane.

Items that cannot be in your carry-on luggage are:

Flammable items such as aerosol spray bottles or cans in the form of deodorants or hair sprays should not be taken on an airplane. Use solid or roll on deodorants instead and a spritz hairspray. These items can be dangerous is a terrorist were to get access to them.
Gels in the form of gel candles, any food with a creamy or jelly consistency can be used to make explosives.
Any kind of cream, lotion, liquid lip-glosses, liquid soaps, liquid mascara, bubble baths, oils, moisturizers or ointments can be used to make a bomb. Whether or no you plan to turn it into a bomb, does not mean someone else cannot take it form you and use it to make explosives. Bug and mosquito repellants, hair styling gels, makeup removers, and nail polish removers also fall into this category.
Knives are weapons and can cut people, as are box cutters, razor blades, sabers, and swords. They should never be used on a plane.
Sport equipment such as bats, bows and arrows, hockey and lacrosse sticks, pool cues, ski poles and spear guns can be easily used as weapons and cannot be taken on a plane.
Firearms and other self-defense items cannot be taken on a plane for obvious reasons.

Most of the items that you cannot take in carry-on luggage; you can put in your checked baggage.

The items you cannot even put in your checked baggage are:

Fireworks might explode and are illegal in many states.
Flares are flammable and could cause an explosion.
Grenades can explode.
Aerosol can be used as a torch or can explode.
Gasoline is flammable and can cause an explosion.
Lighter fluid is flammable and can start a fire.
Lighters have lighter fluid in them and can start a fire.
Gun powder is explosive.
Strike anywhere matches can easily start fires.
Paint thinner is extremely flammable.

You may have noticed a theme here. You cannot take anything remotely flammable on an airplane in carry-on on luggage, or in your checked suitcase. In addition, if you cannot take the item into a school, you should not take it on the airplane. Examine your items and decide if it can be used as a weapon, to injure someone, or if it can be used in a bomb. If you think your items can be used in this way��"šï¿½ï¿½ do not take them on a plane.

Are there any exceptions? Many questions on my last article (linked above) asked about specific items that fall into the categories of many of the items already mentioned. The only exception that I can think of is a walking stick. My guess is if you need the walking stick to walk, you can bring it. If it is purely decorative, leave it at home, or put it in your checked luggage. Oh, and yes, you can take your electronics and games (within reason) on the airplane.

If you have any more questions, please check out http://www.tsa.gov/.